The present invention is associated with a drilling machine of the kind known from German Offenlegungsschrift (unexamined Patent Application) No. 3,522,278. This known drilling machine combined with a workpiece advancing device can be interlinked with a panel splitting machine so as to enable the panels obtained from splitting up panel-type workpieces to also be drilled at the same time without having to be removed from the panel splitting machine.
The object underlying the invention is to enable such a drilling machine to also be used on its own as a machining apparatus and to enable assembly bores to be made in an efficient manner in panel-type workpieces or panel blanks using this drilling machine.
This object is accomplished, in accordance with the invention, by there being associated with the drilling device on its operating side opposite the workpiece advancing device, a workpiece aligning table with a side stop, at either side, and a clamping device for fixing workpieces or panel blanks on the workpiece supporting table.
Such a machine concept offers advantageous machining possibilities. For example, two workpieces which belong to one piece of furniture and in which assembly bores are to be made in mirror-image relationship may be jointly placed on one workpiece aligning table, in each case, aligned at their respective side stop and clamped in the workpiece slider of the workpiece advancing device. Both workpieces can then be drawn back into a rear initial position by the workpiece slider, transported stepwise in the opposite direction again, immobilized in specified machining positions, for example, in a program controlled manner, and successively drilled in mirror-image relationship in the same workpiece area, in each case, by the drilling device. In this case, one pair of workpieces at a time is finished on the drilling machine.
It is however, also possible to deposit workpieces alternately on the workpiece aligning tables and to align these in such a way that by means of the workpiece slider, one workpiece aligned on the one workpiece aligning table is driven into its rear initial position and then transported stepwise in the direction of advance for assembly bores to be made in it. During the drilling operations, a further workpiece can then be deposited and aligned on the other workpiece aligning table and clamped in the workpiece slider once the other workpiece has been transported back to its initial position after completion of the drilling. While the new workpiece to be drilled is first drawn back and then displaced stepwise again in the opposite direction for drilling, the workpiece on which drilling has been completed can be removed from the machine and a further workpiece to be drilled in mirror-image relationship deposited on the respective workpiece aligning table.
Equipping the drilling machine with two workpiece aligning tables, therefore, enables the idle times of the machine to be kept to a minimum and the output of the machine to be doubled per time unit. Also, the work of the operating staff is considerably simplified since, for example, right-hand furniture components can be deposited on the right and left hand furniture components on the left workpiece aligning table.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in light of the present specification and drawings.